24th February 2020
Africa
Lent in Black and White – A Reflection
Two centuries after Nieuw Amsterdam had become New York, a treat still somewhat unique to that city was born, the black and white cookie. It is coated half-and-half with dark and light frosting. Though when I was a kid I gave up eating them during Lent, those cookies are an apt symbol for the season. We generally think of Lent as a time of gloom. … Read more
‘Moral Injury’ – A Reflection on Today’s Status Quo
So much happening every day and everywhere – deaths, births, politicking, floods, fires, locusts, wars, viruses, discoveries, fun, song and dance, sleep and work, prayer and penance, love and lust, peace and joy, anger and fear – And so much written and reported about the same, and so much done to lament, alleviate or aggravate the same. I hear and read and see and feel … Read more
Kenya: Addressing the Pastoral Dichotomy between Faith and Life
At a conference organized to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II “Ecclesia in Africa” after 25 years of its publication, a Kenyan Bishop acknowledged the “revolutionary” nature of the document but noted the exhortation’s threefold limitations. “25 years later after the issuance of the Apostolic Exhortation ‘Ecclesia in Africa’ by Pope John Paul II in 1995,” Bishop John … Read more
Kenya: How can you Forgive when your Tormentor does not Confess?
The passing of retired President Daniel arap Moi temporarily halted the discussion on BBI (Building Bridges Initiative) but opened up another raging debate on how Kenya has dealt with its past and what the next generation can expect to be taught in history class. While the media heaped praise on Mr Moi those detained under his regime also had their say before he was laid … Read more
Recent Cameroon Massacre: Bishop George Nkuo (Kumbo) Declares Day of Prayer and Mourning
“On Friday 14th February 2020, the military invaded Ngarbuh at 4 a.m. and we are told that twenty-four (24) people were killed among whom were pregnant women and little children,” Bishop George Nkuo of Cameroon’s Kumbo diocese has, “reliably informed,” recounted in his February 18 letter. “Some of the victims were burnt alive and several others wounded. A total of nine (9) houses were burnt down,” … Read more
Cameroon: Bishops from across the Globe Call for Urgent Peace Talks
Roman Catholic bishops from around the world are calling on the Cameroon government to hold urgent peace talks with the country’s English-speaking separatists and moderates. As violence grows in the central African country, church leaders are urging President Paul Biya to enter negotiations to find a peaceful constitutional settlement that addresses the grievances of the Anglophone community. Human rights groups report that both the Cameroon … Read more
Vatican: Training for Diplomatic Service to Include a Year of Mission
There is no doubt that the decision, now formalized by the Successor of Peter, represents a truly significant change in the course of studies for those who will serve in the Nunciatures and who will, in many cases, be made bishops at a relatively young age. A fundamental piece of the curriculum now becomes the year dedicated to missionary service in the field, far from … Read more
Negro Spirituals: The Power of a Song in a Strange Land
Songs of Survival For the slaves, the spiritual proved to be an ingenious tool used to counter senseless brutality and the denial of personhood. In order to survive emotionally, resilience was critical. In the spirituals, slaves sang out their struggle, weariness, loneliness, sorrow, hope and determination for a new and better life. Yet these are not songs of anger. They are songs of survival that voice an … Read more
